The Day after Thanksgiving

Our garden is still feeding us on Thanksgiving.  Beautiful fresh broccoli.  Haven't checked yet today, but the super frost and cold that began last night has probably finished the broccoli, but how great that it waited until the day after!  Another thing to be thankful for.  I finished picking the meat from the remains of the gigantic Thanksgiving turkey just a bit ago.  The bones, skin and gelatinized juices from the bottom of the roasting pan are already simmering in my 20 qt. stock pot. The meat has been chopped and put in freezer bags for soups, stews, casseroles, etc.  I will let that cook for 3 - 4 hours, then strain the stock into 2 qt plastic tubs to freeze outside the back door.  Then I will put them in the barn freezer until needed. I make a lot of chicken stock through the year, but turkey is the richest and most flavorful.  I think I have written it before, but nothing is so easy and free and has so many uses as homemade stock.  Lots of turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie left in the refrigerator.  I won't be cooking much all weekend.  Back to the reasons to be thankful---we all have our jobs (except for middle daughter who was laid off from Lily's when it changed hands to another pharmaceutical company--she is taking this opportunity to get a second associates degree --this time in nursing using some financial aid made possible by Pres. Obama's stimulus $$--thank you, Mr. President), all of us are healthy (Dad will be 83 next month and just had a great physical report!), all have homes to live in and food on the table..............can't ask for much more than that, especially now! 
      Already have received some seed catalogs to begin planning the farmers' market gardens.  Lots of stuff to do before Christmas.  Have already received orders for knitted items for next year--socks, fingerless gloves, hats, mittens, scarves, etc.!